Vehicle driving apparatus and system



Feb. 7, 1933. w GODS'EY' JR 1,896,169

VEHICLE DRIVING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM Filed Aug. 19, 1929 BM fi ATTORNEYPatented 1" eb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRAN! W. GODBEY, JR, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE sum CARHEATING a LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OII NEW JERSEY VEHICLE DRIVINGAPPARATUS AN'D'SYB'IEK This invention relates to power transmission, andmore articularly to the transmission of 'power rom a rlme mover to thedriving wheels or axle 0 a vehicle, such as a 5 locomotive, for example.

paratus and, more One of the objects of this invention is to provide athoroughly practical and eflicient system and apparatus for thetransmission of power and to provide a simple, dependable and thoroughlypractical apparatus for controlling such a power transmissionapparticularly, for controling the s eed of certain elements thereof.Another 0 ject is to provide a thoroughly practical system of regulationof a power transmission of the above-mentioned character and, moreover,to rovide a re lating system that will be fu ly automatic in its actionin coping with certain inherent variable conditions of practical use.Another object is to provide a power transmission that will beflexible-and readily and dependably adjusted to meet various differentconditions-in practical use. Another object is to providea practical andthoroughly dependable speed control for power-supplying machinery. Otherobjects will be in part obvious, or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the eaturespf construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements ofparts as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the application of which will v,be indicated in thefollowing claims.

In the single figure of the accompanying drawing there is showndiagrammatically one of various possible embodiments of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown at 10 a source of motiveower preferably in the form of a gas or oil internal combustion enginesupplied with fuel through the conduit 11 which leads to any appropriatesource. A throttle valve 12' operable by means of a handle 13 controlsthe supply of fuel to the engine 10. v

The engine 10 drives a shaft 14 from which is driven a generator A, thefield winding 15 of which is energized in a manner more starting of theengine 10, achievin clearly described hereinafter. The generatorsupplies energy to a load which illustratively is shown in the form ofan electric motor 16, preferabl of the series type, connected in ansuitable manner to the driving wheel 17 of the vehicle. The shaft 14also drives a enerator B, the excitation of which throng the fieldwinding 18 is con-. trolled by a variable resistance preferably in theform of a carbon pile 19, the pressure upon which is controlled by acoil 20, connected across the generator B so as to be responsive. to thevoltage of the latter, and acting through the bell crank lever 21 and inopposition to the spring 22 to vary the pressure upon and hence theresistance of the carbon pile 19. Thus, even if the speed of thegenerator B varies, the regulating apparatus 1920 maintains the voltageof the generator B substantially constant.

The generator supplies energy to a train line 23--24 to which it isconnected by conductors 25-26, respectively, but preferably through anautomatic switch 27 ada ted to close the circuit upon the generatorafter an appropriate voltage and adapted to disconnect the generator Bshould its speed reduce below a certain value.

From the train line 23-24 various auxiliary devices may be operated.Also, a storage battery 28 is connected across the train line 23-24 andis maintained in a substantially charged condition by the generator B.As illustrative of other devices that may be operated from the trainline 23-24, I have shown lamps 29.

The field windin 15 of the generator A is energized preferabfi by thegenerator B and hence is conveniently connected across the train line23-24, but variable resistance preferably taking the form of a carbonpile 30. The circuit of the field winding 15 will thus be seen to extendfrom train line conductor 23 through the field winding 15, conductor 31,carbon pile 30, conductor 32, and thence to the other train lineconductor 24.

The resistance 30 is variable and the pressure thereon is controlledpreferably by two preferably through a coils 33 and 34 spaced axiallyfrom each other and acting upon a common movable core 35,

these parts being so pro ortioned that, with equal energizations of t ecoils 33-34, the coils exert substantially equal but opposite edectsupon the movable core 35. A dashpot 33 is connected preferably to thecore 35 to steady or damp the movements thereof, as well as themovements communicated to the carbon pile 30 through the lever 37. Thelever 37 is pivoted at 38 and is connected to the core 35 preferably ata midpoint n the latter. lhe control ot-the energizatlon of coils 33-34will be more fully described hereinafter.

The shaft 14 driven by the engine 10 also drives an alternator 39,preferably in the form of a ma eto alternator and prefersbly, also, singe phase. The alternator 39 produces an alternating otential, thefrequency of which varies wlth any chan es in speed of rotation of thedriven she 14, and'hence of the engine 10. Another alternator 40,preferably similar to the alternator 39, is driven by an electric motor41 connect ed by conductors 42 and 43 across the tram line 23-24, thepotential across the latter being held constant by the regulator 1-9-20and the motor 41, carrying the substantially fixed load represented bythe alternator 40, is thus. made to operate at substantially constantspeed, for a given energization of its field winding 44.

The shunt field winding 44 of the motor 41 has its one terminalconnected by conductor 42 to train line conductor 24, and its otherterminal is connected through a manually adjustable resistance 45 andthrou h a variable resistance 46 controlled by the andle 13 of thethrottle valve 12, and thence to the other train line conductor 23. Bymeans of the resistance 45 the speed of drive of the motor 41, and hencethe frequency of the potential of the alternator 40, may be fixed. Thefrequency to which the alternator 40 is set is preferably equal to thatwhich characterizes the output of the alternator 39 when the shaft 14and engine 10 are rotating at the desired speed. 1

At 47 is shown diagrammatically a synchroscope. Alternators 39 and 40are connected to the synchroscope 47 which, by the way, may be of anysuitable or convenient construction for indicating, by means of amovable member or hand 48, whether or not the two alternators 39 and 40are in synchronism and for indicating which alternator has the higherfrequency.

The indicator arm 48 is preferably conductive and acts as a contactorbeing connected by conductor 49 to the common or midpoint of the twoserially connected coils 33-34. To the left of contactor 48 is a contact50, and to-the right is a contact 51. Contact 50 is connected byconductor- 52 to the remaining terminal of coil 33, andcon'tact 51 iscon.

nected by conductor .53 to "the remaining terminal of coil 34.. I

The serially connected coils 33-34 are bridged across the train line23-24 by conductors 54-55, a resistance 56 being preferably inserted inone of these conductors.

Assumin the engine 10 to be in operation and operating the parts driventhereb at such a speed that the potential of the a ternator 39 is insynchronism with the potential of the alternator 40, the synchroscope 47will hold the indicator and contactor arm 48 in the position shown inthe drawing, and hence intermediate of the fixed contacts 50-51. Coils33-34 are equally energized from the train line 23-24 and hold the core35 in a position of equilibrium, thus holding a correspondin pressureupon and hence resistance of t e carbon pile 30. Should, however, theengine 10 speed up, as for example, due to a diminishing of the load onthe generator A, the frequency of the output of the alternator39-increases with this increase in speed of the shaft 14; thesynchroscope 47 responds at once to this departure in treguency ot thealternator 39 from the fixed requency oi the alternator 40 and moves theaifm 48 in counter-clockwise direction, and hence into contact with thefixed contact 50, thus short-circuiting coil 33. The resistance of coil33 having thus been removed from the circuit of coil 34, theenergization ofthe latter is correspondingly increased, and this action,together with the absence of an opposing pull on the part of coil 33,causes the core 35 to be moved downwardly and to increase, through thelever 37, the pressure on carbon pile 30.

The resistance of carbon pile 30 is thus decreased, the excitationof-fieldwinding 15 of generator A is correspondingly increased, andsimilarly, also, the output oi the generator A to the load 16-17. Thisincreased load, thus imposed upon the engine 10, causes the latter toslow down until. its speed is such as will cause the frequency ofalternator 39 to be again equal to the frequency of alternator 40,synchroscope 47 moving the contactor 48 into neutral position. In thisneutral position, as shown in the drawing, the coils 33 and 34 areequally energized, as above noted, they exert substantially equallyopinits path, and due, therefore, to the increased load imposed upon theengine 10, a reverse action takes place, the frequency of alternator 39becoming less than the frequency of alternator 40 and synchroscopc 47moving its contactor 48 in clockwise direction to short-circuit coil 34and thus to increase the energization of coil 33. The core 35 is thusmoved upwardly, the pressure on carbon pile reduced, and due to theincreased resistance thereof the excitation of the generator A isdiminished, its power output correspondingly diminished, and the enine10, being thus relieved of the additional 10 oad which caused it to slowdown, speeds up to normal speed a ain.

Such actions as t e above may repeat themselves, depending'mpon thefrequency with which chan es in speed take place.

If it is desired to cause the engine 10 to operate at a different speed,all for a (given setting of the throttle valve 12, the a justableresistance is changed or adjusted to a new value, thus changing theexcitation of motor 41 and correspondingly changin the s d of rotationthereof, and hence o the a ternator 40. The frequency of the output ofthe latter is correspondin ly altered and thus the alternator 40 is madeto set a new standard of frequency with res ct to which the synchroscope47 is actuate in response to chan es in frequency of the alternator 39.

As a ve note I prefer, also, to cause the throttle valve 12, whenoperated manually b the handle 13, to bring about a change in t estandard of s eed control of the engine 10 achieved by t e coaction ofthe alternators 39 and 40, synchroscope 47, and related parts. Thisarrangement has particular advantage in that I am enabled in athoroughly practical and dependable manner to match the poweroutput-speed characteristic of the internal combustion engine 10. Forexam Ie, the characteristic of the engine 10 may such that at greateroutputs thereof (as determined by increasing the opening of the throttlevalve 12') the engine 10 should run at higher speed. Accordingly, theactuation of the throttle valve 12 in a direction to increase the fuelsupply to the engine 10, and hence in a direction to increase the poweroutput of the engine 10, to progressively increase the ohmic value ofthe variable resistance 46, thus progressively to increase the s ed ofthe motor 41 and hence to increase til frequency of the alternator 40.Such changes in the setting of thefrequency of the alternator 40 are, aswill now be clear in view of the foregoing, accompanied by correspondingchanges in the speed of the en- 'ne 10. and the shaft 14 and apparatusi'iven thereby.

More particularly, it is of advantage to cause the standard of speed ofthe engine 10 to be raised or increased at particularly those times whenthe conditions of the load, such as the beginning of an ascent of anlip-grade by the vehicle, require the engine 10 to delivera greaterpower output. Thus, movement of the control lever 13 in a direction toincrease the fuel supply to theengine 10 is cause such an increase inthe speed of the engine 10 as will permit the latter promptly and moreeffectively to pick u in res use to the increased fuel supply t ereto.bus, the engine is enabled dependably and without danger of stalling, tocope with relatively sudden demands for eater power output.

It will thus be seen tfiiit there has been provided in this invention ana paratus and system in which the several ob]ects hereinbefore noted, aswell as many thoroughl practical advantages, are successfully ac ieved.It will be seen that the apparatus is of a thoroughly practical nature,is of dependable and reliable action and, moreover, is characterized bysuch flexibility of control or adjustment thereof as permits the meetinof the widely varying conditions of ha practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and asmany changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said generator, means for controlling the powersupplied to said load, an alternating current generator, the frequencyof which varies with chan es in speed of said prime mover, means supying alternating current of relatively xed frequency, and meansresponsive to the difference in said two frequencies for affecting saidcontrol means to change the power supplied to said load.

2. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving ener y from said generator, means for control ing the powersupplied to said load, an alternating current generator, the frequencyof which varies with changes in s eed of said prime mover, meanssupplying alternating current of relatively fixed frequency, and meansresponsive to preponderance of the first-mentioned frequency foroperating said control means to increase the power supplied to said loadand responsive to preponderance of said second frequency for operatingsaid control means to decrease the power supplied to said load.

3. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said generaa prime mover, means supplyingalternating current of relatively fixed requency, means responsive tothe d1fference in said two freuencies for afiecting said control meansto c ange the power supplied to said load, and means responsive toactuation of said power output-s eed means for changing the value of one0 said frequencies.

' a in apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said generator, means for controlling the powersupplied to said load, an alternating current generator, the frequencyof which varies with chan es in speed of said prime mover, means su pying alternating current of relatively fixe frequency, means forindicating inequality of said two frequencies, and means controlled bysaid indicating means for actuating said control means.

5. ln apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said generator, means for controlling the powersupplied to said load, an alternating current generator, the frequencyof which varies with changes in speed of said prime mover, meanssupplying a ternating current of relatively fixed frequenc meansresponsive to the dif-.

ference'in sai two frequencies for affecting said control means tochange the power supplied to said load, and means for changing the valueof said relatively fixed frequency.

6. In apparatus of the character descrlbed, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said generator, means for controlling the powersupplied to said load, an alternating current generator, the frequencyof which varies with changes in speed of said prime mover, analternating current generator, means for driving said last-mentionedgenerator at a substantially fixed speed, meansresponsive to thedifi'erence in the frequencies of said two alternating currentgenerators for afiecting said control means, and means for chang ing thespeed of drive of said second-mentioned alternating current generator.

7. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said'generator, means for controlling the powersupplied to said load, an alternating current genera tor, the frequencyof which varies with changes in speed of said prime mover, an al- 55ternating current generator, means for driv ing said last-mentionedgenerator at a substantially fixed speed, means responsive to thedifierence in the frequencies of said two alternating current generatorsfor affecting said control means, means for changing the power output ofsaid prime mover, and

driven thereby, means forming an electrical load for receiving energyfrom said generator means for controlling the power supplied to saidload, means supplying an alternating potential varying in frequency withchanges in speed of said prime mover, and means responsive to departuresin frequency of said alternating potential from a given frequency forafiecting said control means.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a primemover, a generator driven thereby, means forming an electrical load forreceiving energy from said generator, means for controlling the powersupplied to said load, means deriving energy from said prime mover andproducing an alternating potential, the frequency of which varies withchanges 1n the speed of said prime mover, means deriving energy fromsaid prime mover and rovidin an alternating potential of relative yfixed requency, and means responsive to dflierences in said twofrequencies for afi'ecting said control means to change the powersupplied to said load.

10. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, an internalcombustion engine having a power output-speed characteristic such that achange in its power output is accompaniedby a change in its speed, aload supplied with energy from said engine, variable powertransmissionmeans interposed between said engine and said load, means forcontrolling said variable power transmission means, means supplying analternating potential var ing 1n frequency with changes in speed 0 saidengine, means responsive to departures in frequency of said alternatingpotential from a given frequenmeans for changing the standard ofoperation of said last-mentioned responsive means.

11. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, an internalcombustion engine having a power output-speed characteristic such that achange in its power output is accompanied by a change in its speed, aload supplied with energy from said engine, variable power transmissionmeans interposed between said engine and said load, means forcontrolling said variable power transmission means, means supplying analternating potential varying 1n frequency with changes in speed of saidengine, means 115 cy for controlling said control means, and gresponsive to departuresin frequency of said alternating potential froma given frequency for controlling said control means, means for changingthe power output of said engine, and means operative upon actuation ofsaid last-mentioned means for changing the standard of operation of saidresponsive means.

12. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a vehiclecarrying an internal combustion engine, a generator driven thereby, amotor for drivin said vehicle and supplied With energy rom saidgenerator, means supplying an alternating potential varying in frequencywith changes in speed of said engine, means for controlling the energysupplied said motor from said generator, and means responsive todepartures in frequency of said alternating potential from a givenfrequency for affecting said control means.

13. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a shaft,motive means for driving said shaft, means providing an alternatingpotential varyin in frequency With changes in speed of said shaft, meansoperated by said motive means for providing an alternating potentialsubstantially constant in fre uency throughout changes in speed of saids aft, and means responsive to departures in frequency of said firstmentioned alternating potential from that of said second-mentionedalternating potential for changing the speed of said motive means.

14. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, a shaft,motive means for driving said shaft, means providing an alternatingpotential varying in frequency with changes in speed 0 said shaft, meansoperated by said motive means for providing an alternating potential ofrelatively fixed frequency, means for changing the speed of drive ofsaid motive means, and means responsive to the difference in frequencyof said two alternating potentials for controlling said speed-changingmeans.

15. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, motivemeans, means providing an alternating potential and directly driven bysaid motive means, a second means for providin an alternating potentialand indirectly driven by said motive means, and means responsive to thefrequency difference between said alternating potentials for changingthe speed of said motive means.

16. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, motivemeans, means providing an alternating current and directly driven bysaid motive means, means for roviding a second alternating current andindirectly driven by said motive means, and means responsive todepartures in frequency of said first alternating current means fromthat of said second alternating current means for changing the speed ofsaid motive means.

17. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, motivemeans, means providin an alternating potential and mechanical yconnected to said motive means, a second means for providing analternating potential and mechanically and electrically associated withsaid motive means, and means responsive to a change in frequency betweensaid alternating potentials for changing the speed of said motive means.

18. In apparatus of the character described, in combination, motivemeans, means operated by said motive means for providing an alternatingpotential varying in frequency with changes in speed of said motivemeans, means operated by said motive means for providing an alternatingpotential of relatively fixed frequency, and means responsive to thediiference in frequency of said alternating potentials for changing thespeed of said motive means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification thisfourteenth day of August, 1929.

FRANK W. GODSEY, JR.

